Mobile Alabama Economic Overview 2010 by Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce

AN ECONOMIC OVERVIEW PUBLISHED BY THE MOBILE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

2010

AN ECONOMIC OVERVIEW OF

THE MOBILE BAY REGION

CONTENTS Banking ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 Brookley Complex ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11 Colleges and Universities…………………….……………………………………………………………....………….… 15 Culture and Recreation ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 16 Demographics ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Economic Diversification ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 Education …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 14 Festivals …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17 Golf………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 18 Healthcare …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 High-Tech Industries …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 Highway System ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10 Hospitality and Tourism ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13 Housing …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 14 International Trade …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 12 Major Employers ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 Making Headlines ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3 Manufacturing and Distribution …………………………………………………………………………………………… 8 Maritime ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7 Mobile Regional Airport ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10 Museums, Galleries and Historical Parks …………………………………………………………………………………… 17 Office Development …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 14 Outdoor Recreation …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 19 Performing Arts and Entertainment ……………………………………………………………………………………… 16 Port of Mobile ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11 Railroads …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10 Retail and Wholesale …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 13 Services ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 Sports and Recreation …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 18 Summary …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 20 Top Ten Manufacturers and Non-Manufacturers ……………………………………………………………………………… 5 Transportation ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10 Technology …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 USA Technology and Research Park ………………………………………………………………………………………… 7 Workforce Training ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9

PUBLISHED BY THE MOBILE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

MOBILE BAY REGION Mobile and Baldwin counties Total Land Area: 2,829 square miles Population: 591,599 (2009 Estimate) Source: U.S. Census Bureau

The Mobile Bay region is located in Southwest Alabama at the head of Mobile Bay. The region includes Mobile and Baldwin counties and covers an area of 2,829 square miles. The city of Mobile is the dominant urban area. The region offers an abundance of cultural and recreational opportunities for people of all ages – a variety of museums, theater, symphony, opera, ballet, fishing, golfing, relaxing at the beach and much more.

MOBILE BAY REGION, 2010 Total Population, 2010 Total Households, 2010 Median Age, 2010

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, 2010 Age 25+ Population Less Than High School High School Associate’s Degree Some College Bachelor’s Degree Graduate Degree

INCOME, 2010

Median Household Income Per Capita Income

LABOR FORCE

Population, age 16+, 2010 Unemployment Rate, September 2010

EDUCATION

Public Schools Private Schools Colleges and Universities Source: Decision Data Resources 2010

591,599 233,433 38

387,265 56,824 134,429 29,622 80,699 56,812 29,419

$45,495 $24,958

458,507 10%

153 75 10

DEMOGRAPHICS

MAKING HEADLINES

With an estimated population of 591,599 in 2010, the Mobile Bay region’s Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is the second largest metro area in the state. Mobile County, the second largest county in the state, has 411,721 residents. Baldwin County’s estimated population is 179,878. Baldwin County experienced a population increase of 42.9% from 1990 to 2000, which made it the second fastest-growing county in Alabama. According to U.S. census data, the estimated 2009 population of the city of Mobile is 193,171. The area population is 61% Caucasian, 33% African-American, 2.1% Asian-American, 1.8 Hispanic and 2.1% all other races, with 29% of the population under the age of 19.

The Mobile Bay region has gained worldwide attention due to its incredible growth and the potential for more in the upcoming years. Magazines, studies and the news media have recognized the area’s enormous potential. For example:

Mobile is the largest metropolitan area along the Gulf of Mexico between New Orleans, La., and Tampa, Fla., and the 119th largest MSA in the nation. Area residents enjoy income levels at or above the state average, while Mobile’s cost of living is one of the 15 lowest out of the 80 mid-size metro areas in the U.S., according to ACCRA’s Cost of Living Index. Mobile’s market area is composed of seven counties in Alabama, three counties in Florida and one county in Mississippi, combining more than 1.3 million residents in the 11-county area. According to Decision Data Resources (2010), the median household income in the Mobile Bay area was $45,495.

MOBILE BAY REGION’S

• Business Week and Moody’s Economy.com ranked Mobile no.13 out of America’s 25 Next Recovering Job Markets based on anticipated 2010 first quarter job growth. • The Economist featured Mobile’s optimism about its economic future. The author also mentions recent rankings by Moody’s.com and Forbes.com as well as the city’s efforts to reconnect with Cuba. • Last summer, Forbes.com listed Mobile as one of the 10 Best Mid-sized cities for Recession Recovery. Last spring, Mobile came in at no.10 on Forbes.com Top 10 Best Mid-Sized Cities for Jobs. • Mobile was ranked no. 5 in the Best Cost Effectiveness category for small cities by fDi magazine. • A story in the Wall Street Journal listed Mobile as one of 10 metropolitan areas where consumer loan balances grew the most in the fourth quarter. According to the article, consumer-lending activity is a key to riding out the recession.

SIGNIFICANCE TO THE STATE OF ALABAMA • 13% of the Alabama state population • 13% of the state households • 14% of the business establishments • 14% of the retail sales • 14% of the total effective buying income Source: Decision Data Resources 2010

ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION Mobile was forecast to have the fastest growing economy over a five-year span (2008-2012) among 363 American metropolitan areas according to Moody’s Economy.com. This ranking, along with other recent accolades for the city, are due in large part to the cultivation of multiple economic sectors. Not dependent on one industry for the success or failure of the Mobile Bay region, the economy has successfully diversified away from the traditional paper and chemical industry core. The Mobile Bay region’s 23,465 businesses make it a center for finance, health care, education, manufacturing, transportation, construction, distribution, retail trade and technology. The Mobile Bay region’s employment stood at 245,133 in 2009. The 11-county direct market area combines a total civilian labor force of over 575,000. Over the past 30 years, the Mobile Bay region’s per capita income has grown from $2,915 in 1970 to $24,958 in 2010, below the average U.S. per capita income of $26,464. The Mobile Bay area’s median household income, $45,495 is at 67% of the U.S. average and at 87% of the state average. According to Demographics USA: 2010, service industries currently employ 81% of the workforce, with 36% of the area’s workers employed in trade, transportation, warehousing & utilities, and 18% employed in education and health services. Goods producing industry employs 20% of the workforce and is concentrated in natural resources and construction, as well as manufacturing of durable and nondurable goods and chemical products.

2010 INDUSTRY PROFILE FOR THE MOBILE MSA TOTAL NONAGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT GOODS PRODUCING Natural Resources, Mining & Construction Manufacturing SERVICE PROVIDING Trade, Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities Wholesale Trade Retail Trade Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities Information Financial Activity Professional & Business Services Education & Health Services Health Care & Social Assistance Leisure & Hospitality Other Services Government Federal State Local Source: Alabama Department of Industrial Relations

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES 182,100 30,100 14,400 15,700 152,000 40,800 8,835 22,050 9,915 2,550 9,660 23,100 23,920 21,740 15,600 21,950 25,330 2,590 8,600 16,040

MAJOR EMPLOYERS The region’s largest employers are the Mobile County Public School System, the University of South Alabama, the city of Mobile, Mobile County, Wal-Mart, and several hospitals in the region. The city’s major manufacturing players are ST Aerospace Mobile, ThyssenKrupp Steel USA, Austal USA, Kimberly Clark and Evonik Degussa.

TOP TEN NON-MANUFACTURERS

TOP TEN MANUFACTURERS Company Austal USA ST Aerospace Mobile ThyssenKrupp Steel USA Goodrich Aerostructures (Baldwin County) Kimberly Clark Corp. Evonik Degussa SSAB Americas BASF Corp. C&G Boat Works BAE Systems SE Shipyards

Total Employees 1,800 1,200 1,200 800 700 644 600 500 500 500

Company Mobile County Public School System Infirmary Health Systems University of South Alabama (USA) & USA Health Systems Wal-Mart City of Mobile Providence Hospital Mobile County Springhill Medical Center CPSI Regions Bank

Total Employees 7,950 5,300 5,000 3,000 2,200 1,570 1,450 1,133 900 750

SERVICES The service sector is Mobile’s highest-growth sector. Eighty-one percent of the workforce is employed in the service industry, most of them in trade, transportation, distribution and government.

BANKING There are a number of sound financial institutions, both old and new, that help with business growth and the security of Mobile’s financial future. The Mobile Bay region’s largest banks are Regions Bank, BankTrust, BB&T, BBVA Compass Bank, RBC Bank, Wells Fargo and Whitney National Bank. Other banks include: Bay Bank, Century Bank, BancorpSouth, Centennial Bank, Coastal Bank and Trust, Commonwealth National Bank, Community Bank, First Community Bank, Hancock Bank IBERIABANK, Merchants Bank, SB&T Bank and Southpoint Bank. In Mobile and Baldwin counties, these banks have more than 180 branches. The region also has more than 16 credit unions that provide a number of valuable services to their members.

HEALTHCARE Mobile is a regional center for medical care, research and education. Nearly 10% of Mobile’s workforce is employed in the healthcare sector. There are more than 850 physicians and 175 dentists practicing in the area, many affiliated with one or more of nine hospitals and the 2,800 hospital beds serving the Mobile Bay region. In addition, there are many outpatient surgical centers, emergency clinics, home healthcare services, assistedliving facilities, and nursing homes. Mobile’s goal of becoming home to a world-class, comprehensive cancer research and treatment center became a reality in 2008 with the opening of the $100 million Mitchell Cancer Institute. The Institute, a strategic healthcare alliance between the University of South Alabama and Infirmary Health System, is expected to have an estimated $1 billion economic impact on the Mobile Bay region over the next decade. It employs more than 700 professionals. It is the only Stage II and III cancer center between Houston and Tampa. Additionally, Providence Hospital has partnered with M.D. Anderson Physicians Network to provide a direct link for cancer patients in the Mobile area to be served by the Houston-based hospital.

TECHNOLOGY As the local economy continues to diversify, high-tech companies continue to grow from software development to security systems. Several successful technology firms have chosen Mobile as their home, including CentraLite, Epiphany Development, Forte Inc., Global Tel*Link, Logical Computer Solutions Inc., Mentor Graphics and Xanté Corp. Mentor Graphics is the anchor tenant at the University of South Alabama’s Technology

and Research Park. The company specializes in embedded operating systems and application development tools and was founded in 1990 by a graduate of the University of South Alabama. CentraLite system’s innovative automatic lighting systems meet consumer practicality needs combined with artistic beauty in lighting. Xanté develops products that enable the highest quality printing solutions for its clients. The healthcare information technology sector is particularly well represented in Mobile, with firms such as TeleVox Software, The SSI Group and CPSI, all of which develop software to improve processes at doctors’ offices, clinics, and hospitals. The above-mentioned companies accounted for almost a third of the 5,700 technology jobs in the Mobile area in 2010. Healthcare Informatics, the premier publication for healthcare IT, consistently ranks CPSI, The SSI Group, and TeleVox among the top 100 healthcare product and service providers in the nation.

USA TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH PARK The 35-acre Technology and Research Park at the University of South Alabama is an economic development initiative of the University of South Alabama (USA). The Park links USA resources with the business community in a single location. The technology park enhances partnerships with the business community in a single location. The technology park enhances partnerships between USA and high-tech companies. The park will continue to create, attract and retain high-quality and high-paying jobs.

MARITIME Offshore natural gas, shipbuilding and ship repair are among Mobile’s expanding businesses. These industries have created a synergy for growth. As offshore drilling increases, Mobile shipbuilders are building offshore supply and rig-tending vessels and repairing rigs at their facilities on the Mobile River. Virtually every conceivable service for the maritime industry can be found in this 300-year old port city. Sources of these services include barge fleeting service, container repair and leasing, dunnage services, freight forwarding, guard service and ship watching, heavy lift and salvage, industrial diving, line handling, marine fumigation services, maritime waste disposal, ship chandlers, stevedoring, towing and many more. There are 17 foreign freight forwarders; nine of them are custom house brokers. There are also 13 barge lines/towing companies, the largest ones being Parker Towing Co., Seabulk Towing, Warrior & Gulf Navigation Co., and Waterways Towing & Offshore Services Inc. There are five different ship building and/or repair facilities along the Port of Mobile, including BAE Systems Southeast, Austal USA, C&G Boatworks and Signal Ship Repair LLC, with many smaller companies located throughout the Mobile Bay region. The Theodore Ship Channel is host to several other service facilities as well as small workboat yards for ship repair and building. It is also particularly well suited to the oil and gas industry, as the Theodore Ship Channel is the closest deep water location to the open Gulf of Mexico, and is home to Aker Solutions and Technip USA Inc. The Theodore Ship Channel is capable of a 40-foot draft and has a 1,000-foot turning basin located on the Mobile River at Three Mile Creek.

OTHER SERVICES Aside from numerous technology companies and healthcare institutions, other firms providing a wide variety of services have chosen the Mobile Bay region for their headquarter operations. These headquartered companies include Ball Healthcare Services Inc. with nursing homes and assisted living facilities in 10 Alabama communities; BancTrust Financial Group, a Mobile-founded bank; Big 10 Tire Stores Inc.; Hancock Bank, a Mississippibased bank which has moved into the Alabama market; Integrity Media, a Christian media company producing books, movies and music for a worldwide audience; International Shipholding Co., which relocated its headquarters in 2007; RBC Bank, Mobile headquartered following the purchase of several AmSouth bank branches; Shoe Station Inc.; and Volkert, Inc., one of the top engineering, architectural, planning and environmental consulting firms in the U.S. Collectively, Mobile headquartered firms have more than 17,000 workers regionally. Seven call centers are located in the Mobile Bay region. Some call centers, such as Hertz Corp., now employ workers from home. Mobile County welcomed Ryla Teleservices, Inc., in 2009. The Georgia-based company opened a customer service call center for Fortune 500 companies, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Ryla’s goal is to hire 1,200 full-time workers by 2011.

MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTION MANUFACTURING The aviation/aerospace industry is an extremely strong, growing industry sector in the area. ST Aerospace Mobile Inc., an aviation repair and maintenance company, is one of the largest Mobile Bay Region employers with around 1,200 workers. Teledyne Continental Motors continues to have a solid presence in Mobile with 450 employees. An Airbus Engineering Center of Excellence opened at Brookley Industrial Complex and has 150 engineers and is in the process of adding 90 more. Brookley Industrial Complex is a 1,700-acre industrial area with two runways, one of which is 9,600 ft. long and capable of landing the Space Shuttle, has deepwater port access and connects with two interstates – I-65 and I-10. As a former Air Force Base, Brookley has become and continues to be an extremely desirable location for the aerospace industry. The chemical industry is one of the region’s largest industry sectors with more than 3,000 employees. Evonik Degussa Corp., with a history of more than 30 years in Mobile, is the largest chemical company, followed by BASF Corp., UOP, Olin, DuPont Agricultural Products, Mitsubishi Polysilicon; Arkema Inc. and Akzo Nobel.

Thanks to the Alabama State Docks and Mobile’s strategic location on the Gulf Coast, the largest and most impressive industry in the area is the shipbuilding sector. The largest companies include: Austal USA, C&G Boatworks and Horizon Ship Building Inc. Four shipbuilding companies in Mobile County announced expansion plans in 2008. Led by Austal USA’s 1,000-job $254 million expansion, there were a total of 1,410 jobs with an investment of $277.3 million throughout the shipbuilding sector. In November 2008, Austal won a $1.6 billion contract to build up to 10 high-speed transport ships for the U.S. military. The brightest sparkle on Mobile’s waterfront is coming from the abundance of activities at the Alabama State Docks. The most significant project is Mobile Container Terminal, a $300 million intermodal facility that brings together ship, rail, truck and air transportation modes into one contiguous site. The terminal is operated as a joint venture between APM Terminals North America and Terminal Link, a division of CMA CGM. Expected to win a significant share of the fast-growing container shipping market, the project will create some 1,700 permanent jobs.

DISTRIBUTION Mobile’s 300-year history as a port city and a 75-year-old hub of the process industry have led the area to become a successful center of distribution. Several national distribution centers exist in support of the manufacturing and chemical industry, such as BASF Corp., DuPont Agricultural Products and UOP. There are also numerous regional supply and service distribution companies like ACE Hardware, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Blue Bell Creameries, Sherwin Williams and Cintas. Mobile was named in Logistics Today’s best places for businesses that rely on logistics.

WORKFORCE TRAINING Alabama has the best manufacturing training program in the United States, according to a recent edition of Expansion Management magazine. Almost all major Mobile manufacturers have taken advantage of services offered by Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT). With more than 30 years’ experience, AIDT has a proven method of recruiting, screening and training for company startups and expanding workforces. This program is available to all Alabama companies with significant hiring needs, is provided free of charge and custom-tailored to individual company needs. An AIDT training center opened in 2009 at the ThyssenKrupp site. The Maritime Training Center was opened in 2011 to support the shipbuilding industry.

TRANSPORTATION Mobile’s extensive transportation infrastructure keeps business on the move. Major rail, ship and highway transportation systems converge along the Mobile River at the Port of Mobile to link Mobile businesses with the nation and the world. In addition to a deep-water port, Mobile has two major interstate connectors, five railroad service providers and two airports. Comparing Mobile Bay to 330 other MSAs identified by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget in 2006, Logistics Today listed Mobile as the 28th most logistics-friendly city in the nation and 11th in the Southeast.

RAILROADS The Mobile rail market is served by five national Class I railroads: CSX Transportation, Canadian National, Burlington Northern/Santa Fe, Kansas City Southern, and Norfolk Southern with piggyback and containerized freight service. An average 2,500 rail cars are estimated to pass through Mobile daily.

HIGHWAY SYSTEM Mobile Bay’s highway system includes two major interstates, and five federal highways. Interstate 10, the southern-most east-west, coast-to-coast interstate highway, connects Jacksonville to Los Angeles. Interstate 65, a major north-south route, links the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast. The highway system also includes federal highways 31, 43, 45, 90 and 98. As a major manufacturing center and Port City, Mobile Bay offers competitive trucking for shippers. Most regional and national trucking lines serve Mobile and operate terminals in the region.

MOBILE REGIONAL AIRPORT The Mobile Airport Authority owns and operates Mobile’s two airports, Mobile Regional Airport and the Downtown Airport at Brookley Field (commonly called the Brookley Complex). Mobile Regional Airport, the area’s commercial airport, is served by five airlines: American Eagle, Atlantic Southeast, Continental, Delta, and U.S. Air. More than 600,000 passengers fly through Mobile Regional Airport every year. Twenty-five daily flights go to five of the nation’s largest hubs: Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and Memphis.

BROOKLEY COMPLEX A former U.S. Air Force base located on Mobile Bay near downtown Mobile, Brookley has been transformed into a leading 1,700-acre industrial and trade complex. Built around a fully-operational airfield with a 9,600-ft. runway, the complex offers transportation infrastructure truly second to none. Along with a fully-operational airport able to accommodate the largest aircraft, Brookley provides superb road and rail access. It is located adjacent to Interstate 10, which connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, and Interstate 65, linking the Gulf of Mexico to Chicago. There is also direct service by two railways, including CSX, the largest railroad in the United States connecting to the Port of Alabama. The complex is located within Foreign-Trade Zone 82, and has more than 4.5 million sq. ft. of building space. Teledyne Continental Motors developed and built the engines that powered the first round-the-world flight of the Voyager at Brookley. ST Aerospace Mobile and other aerospace and aviation companies have joined Teledyne in the Brookley Complex. Boeing, United Airlines, Continental Airlines and FedEx rely on the companies at Brookley for service, maintenance and technological innovation. In addition, the Mobile Downtown Airport at Brookley serves FedEx and UPS as a regional cargo airport. The Mobile region is still under consideration for the U.S. Air Forceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next generation refueling tanker program. EADS is in the tanker contract competition and if Mobile is selected, more than 1,500 jobs and a $600 million investment will be made for an aircraft aviation and final assembly plant.

PORT OF MOBILE The Port of Mobile is the global deepwater gateway for the state. The port handles a variety of cargos, including containers, forest products, metals, and bulk cargo. It can accommodate any size ship due to a large variety in dry dock sizes. The 45-ft. ship channel with its 1,000-ft. turning basin is Panamax capable. It is only four hours from or to deep-water ocean. The Port of Mobile is the ninth largest port in the United States, and is the leading breakbulk forest products port in the nation. McDuffie Terminal is the largest import coal terminal in the nation. ThyssenKrupp is expected to increase tonnage by two million tons in 2011, which could make the Port of Mobile the 7th most active port in the United States. The Alabama State Docks was dedicated in 1928. It includes 4,000 acres, and 41 berths. The state docks has a $7.92 billion economic impact statewide and contributes $467 million in state taxes annually. The main port complex includes 4 million sq. ft. of covered and open storage. Its strategic location serves as a gateway between the Southeastern United States and world destinations, and is closer to open water than any other major port on the central Gulf Coast. The intermodal advantages include five Class I railroads, two Class III railroads, two major interstate highways, as well as an air cargo terminal with a 9,600-ft. runway at the Brookley Complex. There is also a new container terminal capable of handling 800,000 TEUS annually.

The Port of Mobile is served by 12 shipping lines that offer fixed-daily, weekly, bi-monthly and monthly container service throughout the world. The most frequent import and export commodities transferring through the port are coal, aluminum, iron, steel, lumber, wood pulp and chemicals.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE International trade has provided extensive benefits to the state of Alabama. With the automotive industry, high-tech equipment, chemicals and rich agricultural farmlands, Alabama’s place in the global economy continues to prosper. Alabama’s export sales expanded from $3.9 billion in 1993 to $12.35 billion in 2009, a 217% increase. The top five exports from the state were transportation equipment ($5.9 billion); chemicals ($2 billion); machinery manufacturing ($935 million); paper products ($899 million) and electronic products ($707 million). During 2009, the fastest growing export was primary metals, with the value of shipments up an increase of 83 percent. Canada was ranked as Alabama’s leading trading partner in 2009, with exports totaling $2.56 billion. Germany currently ranks as Alabama’s second largest trading partner with exports totaling $1.81 billion. In 2009, exports to China totaled $761 million. Exports to Mexico totaled $727 million and Alabama shipped $557 million to Japan. In 2010, the port of Mobile ranked 9th in the nation in overall waterborne foreign trade by cargo volume. Dry and liquid bulks, forest products, metals and frozen poultry make up the major commodities. Mobile’s Foreign-Trade Zone (FTZ) project enhances the competitiveness of companies engaged in international trade. A number of firms currently use FTZ procedures to significantly reduce their costs associated with Customs duties and tariffs, and to streamline their inbound supply chains. For each of the past several years, Mobile’s Foreign-Trade Zone project has accounted for roughly $1 billion in economic activity. Overall employment for the entire zone project, including sub zones, is approximately 2,000. The general-purpose zone consists of 12 non-contiguous sites, comprising 9,848 acres, located throughout Mobile and Baldwin counties. The various general-purpose zone sites offer a wide variety of industrial and commercial environments that provide the utilities, infrastructure and transportation links necessary to accommodate a wide variety of large, medium, and small operations. The various sites offer direct access to deepwater, airport, interstate highway, rail, industrial park, warehousing and green-field development. As several companies have already discovered, sub zone status is readily available for companies whose operations cannot be accommodated within the existing general-purpose zone.

RETAIL AND WHOLESALE Retail and wholesale trade makes up a large percentage of the regions local economy, with 17% of people employed in this sector. Of those employees, 62.5% are employed in retail, and 20% in the wholesale industry. Retail sales in the Mobile Bay area increased almost 50% since 2000 to more than $8.5 billion in 2009. Shopping opportunities in the Mobile Bay region are plentiful. The 500,000-sq. ft. Eastern Shore Centre includes upscale shops such as WilliamsSonoma, Pottery Barn, Dillards, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Ann Taylor Loft, Coldwater Creek, Talbot’s, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Belk, and many more. The centre is spawning additional retail development close-by. Bel Air Mall and Springdale in Mobile County offer many of the above-named stores within their facilities. Over the past few years, Mobile has seen several prominent shops move in. Fresh Market, an upscale grocery store, opened in the McGregor Square Shopping Center. Legacy Village at Spring Hill houses many boutiques and upscale chain stores.

HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM Alabama beaches – the state’s top tourism draw – welcomed more than 4.5 million people in 2009. According to Smith Travel Research, Mobile and Baldwin counties combined for over 7.2 million visitors in 2009. Visitors spend almost half a billion dollars here annually. More than 11,500 individuals are employed in the tourism industry in the Mobile area. Carnival Cruise Lines’ fun ship Elation began sailing from Mobile in 2010 and offers four-, five- and seven-day cruises to the Western Caribbean. The newer, larger ship came to Mobile as a result of the remendous success Mobile has had - selling out virtually every sailing - since Carnival began sailing from its homeport in Mobile in October 2004. The Gulf Coast Exploreum, a science museum in downtown Mobile, has lured more than 1.5 million visitors with a succession of blockbuster exhibits, Mummy: the inside story in 2006; Pompeii in 2007; and Our Body: The Universe Within in 2009. In addition to the rotating exhibits, the museum includes a Wharf of Wonder for children under five, and a Ciba lab for older children and adults to conduct science experiments and projects. To accommodate the growing number of visitors to the Mobile Bay area, more than 10,000 hotel rooms in more than 114 hotels are open. In 2007 Mobile celebrated the re-opening of the historic Battle House Hotel. The hotel, originally built in 1852 has undergone massive renovation and is now a Renaissance property. The hotel has 238 guest rooms, including 31 suites, three restaurants, a state-of-the art fitness center, spa facility and 40,000 sq. ft. of convention space.

OFFICE DEVELOPMENT Mobile has the tallest building in Alabama in the Retirement Systems of Alabama’s (RSA) 750-ft. Battle House Tower in downtown Mobile. The 35-story tower houses more than 650,000 sq. ft. of Class A office space. The Battle House Hotel serves as the anchor for the massive office complex, and occupies the first seven floors for hotel rooms. RSA has invested more than $200 million for the construction of the tower and the renovation of the hotel. In 2010, Mobile’s second-tallest office tower became the RSA-BankTrust Building and is undergoing a $45 million renovation, set to be complete in fall 2011. Mobile has several suburban office parks that offer Class A space, including Montlimar Place, a 10-story Class A office building; Bel Air Park; the Downtowner Corporate Center, a former call center facility; and many offices which are available in the area’s multi-story bank facilities.

HOUSING The residential real estate market has fared better than most national metro markets during the economic downturn. There are more than 1,250 construction businesses in the Mobile Bay region. According to Mobile Area Association of Realtors, the average sales price of a home in 3rd quarter 2010 was $137,340 for Mobile County - well below the national average of $206,900. The average sales price in Baldwin County was $268,000. Mobile was named the fifth-best city in America in which to find a real estate steal, according to the U.S. News and World Report’s in February 2010. Eight beautiful historic residential districts wind their paths through Mobile: Ashland Place, Church Street East, DeTonti Square, Leinkauf, Lower Dauphin Street, Oakleigh Garden District, Old Dauphin Way, and Midtown. Innumerable home renovations have turned these districts into popular residential and commercial areas.

EDUCATION KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12TH GRADE With more than 150 public and 74 private schools in the Mobile Bay region, as well as several post-secondary educational institutions, Mobile Bay has an excellent education system. The Mobile County Public School System has more than 65,000 students and 4,050 teachers; the Baldwin County Public School System has 27,812 students and 1,913 teachers. Mobile’s public school system is the area’s largest employer with more than

7,950 on the payroll. It offers the state’s largest Advanced Placement program, and has one International Baccalaureate elementary school Council Traditional - and two high schools – Davidson and Murphy; and Davidson also offers students an engineering track. The Alabama School of Mathematics and Science is a unique, residential public high school located in midtown Mobile that attracts some of the state of Alabama’s brightest high school sophomores, juniors and seniors and offers outreach programs for local students and schools. The region has a large parochial school system operated by the Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile and anchored by McGill-Toolen High School. Many other schools operate through churches or private boards, such as St. Paul’s Episcopal School, St. Luke’s Episcopal School, and UMS-Wright Preparatory School. In total, the private denominational schools in Mobile have an approximate enrollment of 5,000 students.

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES Several four-year colleges, community colleges and vocational schools keep Mobilians trained for quality jobs. The University of South Alabama (USA) is the region’s largest four-year institution with more than 15,000 students at campuses in Mobile and Baldwin counties. Students can work toward bachelors’, masters’ and doctoral degrees in a wide range of studies. USA has around 5,000 employees in its university system, college of medicine and hospital system. Spring Hill College, founded in 1830, is one of the nation’s oldest Jesuit institutions and offers undergraduate and graduate programs in business administration, theology, liberal arts and education, as well as a division for lifelong studies for adults wishing to further their education. Spring Hill, with more than 1,750 students, is continually ranked in U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” survey as one of the top schools with undergraduate and master’s programs. The University of Mobile is a private institution affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention located in north Mobile County. Students can work toward bachelors’ and masters’ degrees in the arts, business, computer science, nursing and religious studies. Bishop State Community College has four campuses across the city of Mobile and offers associate degrees in arts and sciences, nursing and applied sciences. It also offers technical training, certification programs to meet local businesses needs, and conducts work keys assessments and technical degrees. The Enterprise-Ozark Community College – Mobile Aviation Center trains students to work in aviation maintenance and boasts a 95% job placement rate. It was the first two-year college to be designated as an official Federal Aviation Association (FAA) Educational Resource Center and is among the first three in the nation to earn FAA Airway Science Recognition. Its facility at Brookley Industrial Complex can accommodate up to 300 students. Eighty percent of the area’s population has obtained a high school diploma and 22% have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

CULTURE AND RECREATION Mobile celebrated its tricentennial in 2002, and has a proud European heritage that can be witnessed today in many of its cultural institutions and diverse population. Six flags have flown over Mobile, and only 191 of the city’s 300-plus years have been part of America. The city’s French and Spanish roots are still visible today in the architecture, art, food, and in the names of its streets and residents. Mobile has sister city relationships with 15 cities around the world, including Cockburn, Australia; Tianjin, China and Worms, Germany. The area offers the amenities and infrastructure of a major metropolitan area while retaining its sense of community and friendliness. Historic architecture found on Mobile’s homes and buildings make it one of the most beautiful historic cities in America. From Italianate townhouses and Creole cottages to sprawling antebellum mansions, restoration and preservation are seen everywhere. Many aspects of the city’s seven historic districts reveal its European ancestry. Several historic sites and antebellum homes are open to the public, including the Oakleigh Mansion, the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion, and the Condé-Charlotte House. Bellingrath Gardens and Home, located just south of Mobile, is a 75-acre estate featuring flowering plants and a canopy of live oaks the entire year. The garden is considered one of America’s most beautiful display gardens. The lavishly-furnished rooms and art collections of the house are also open to visitors.

PERFORMING ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Mobile has one of the liveliest performing arts scenes on the Gulf Coast. Locally-produced opera, symphony, dance and theater along with traveling shows give Mobilians a wide variety of performance options almost any week of the year. Mobile has been very successful in attracting worldfamous musicians, such as Yo-Yo Ma and Joshua Bell, who performed with the Mobile Symphony Orchestra at the fully-restored Saenger Theater in downtown Mobile.

MUSEUMS, GALLERIES AND HISTORIC PARKS The Mobile Bay region is well represented when it comes to history and art museums, including the Museum of Mobile, the Gulf Coast Exploreum, the Mobile Museum of Art, the William J. and Emily Staples Hearin Mobile Carnival Museum and the Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope. Historic parks include the last battlefield of the Civil War at Blakeley Historic Park, Civil War era forts in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi, including the famous Fort Morgan, the site of the Battle of Mobile Bay. Mobile is also the home of the USS ALABAMA, a World War II-era battleship located in Battleship Memorial Park, along with the submarine USS DRUM, a B-52 bomber, SR71 Blackbird and other military hardware, both antique and modern. The park features an aircraft pavilion housing a varied collection of historic planes, including a plane flown by the Tuskegee Airmen.

FESTIVALS Mobile is a city of celebrations. After all, the city that brought Mardi Gras to the U.S. should know how to throw a party! Every season has its own favorite events that bring people together to share the things that make the region special, including the Festival of Flowers and the Mobile Jazz Festival in the spring, the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo and the Fourth of July Celebration in the summer, Greek Fest and BayFest in the fall and the Chili Cook-off and Mardi Gras in the winter. Mardi Gras is undoubtedly the biggest festival of the year in Mobile. More than one million spectators annually watch dozens of beautiful parades and catch the Mardi Gras krewes’ “throws” – favorites are definitely moonpies and large, colorful beads. Mardi Gras festivities yield more than $227 million in direct spending in Mobile and Baldwin counties with an economic impact estimated at more than $408 million per year. BayFest, a world-class musical fest, is another popular event that takes place each year during the first weekend in October. The volunteer-run event showcases more than 100 musical acts on seven stages over a three-day weekend. Annually, more than 200,000 people gather in downtown Mobile to hear world-famous and local artists. The organization boasts an economic impact of $20 million annually. Many other festivals take place throughout the year, such as the American Cancer Society’s annual Chili Cook-off, various shrimp and seafood festivals, and many others for residents and visitors to enjoy.

SPORTS AND RECREATION From baseball to bowl games to high school football, some of the best team sports are found in Mobile. World-class facilities for golf and tennis are a perfect match for a climate that allows for year-round outdoor activities. Mobile is one of the South’s best locations for hunting, fishing, sailing or just enjoying the great outdoors.

SPORTS Ladd-Peebles Stadium is home to the Senior Bowl, which pits squads of college all-star football players against one another and attracts so many scouts it is sometimes called a mini-convention of NFL coaches. Ladd-Peebles Stadium is also home to the Alabama-Mississippi High School All-Star Football Classic, the Gulf Coast Classic and regular season college and high school contests. Also at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, the GoDaddy.com Bowl brings more than 40,000 people to the Port City in January. Celebrations around the game last a week and include a college basketball tournament and a Mardi Gras parade. Mobile is hometown to baseball hall-of-famers Hank Aaron, Satchel Paige, Willie McCovey, Ozzie Smith and Billy Williams. The Mobile BayBears, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, plays 70 home games at Hank Aaron Stadium and averages over 240,000 fans each season. The Mobile Tennis Center, located near Langan Park, is the world’s largest public tennis facility with 50 hard courts in one location.

GOLF Regional golfing is among the nations finest, with more than 25 courses in the metropolitan region. Golf Digest ranked Mobile in the top five “Best Medium Size Golf Cities in the United States.” The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail has two courses in the Mobile Bay region. The trail was named by Money magazine as one of the “Eight best places to spend a winter vacation.” It also won a recent Reader’s Choice Award from Southern Living magazine.

OUTDOOR RECREATION The Mobile area is a haven for those who enjoy the great outdoors. From beautiful woodlands and wetlands to miles of waterways, beaches and bayous, the area is proud to host a variety of breathtaking views of nature. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much to do on the water. Sailing on the bay, canoeing or skiing the rivers, fishing on a lake or in the gulf and soaking in the sun on a sugar-white beach are just a few of the countless ways Mobilians and visitors enjoy the water. The Mobile Bay region is part of the second-largest watershed in the U.S., inviting residents and visitors to take part in fishing and water activities. Beyond fishing, the area offers recreational boating from quiet rivers and lakes to offshore sailing. Yacht racing is popular, and numerous evening and weekend races take place each year. These events are sponsored by the Gulf Yachting Association with its 34 member clubs, four of which are on Mobile Bay. Other outdoor recreation opportunities include running events from 5K to full marathons, on- and off-road bicycling, and triathlons. Numerous parks, including the Gulf Islands National Seashore, offer camping, hiking, swimming and golf. The city of Mobile alone has more than 70 beautiful public parks.

SUMMARY Mobileâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategic location and tremendous infrastructure â&#x20AC;&#x201C; two interstate systems, two airports, proximity to open Gulf of Mexico water, and five major railroads â&#x20AC;&#x201C; make it a hot center for business. Its superb quality of life, diverse cultural and recreational activities, low cost of living, close distance to the beach and the temperate climate attract many newcomers and visitors every year. Many exciting things are happening in Mobile that will continue to attract residents and businesses to this progressive part of the southeastern United States. Updated December 2010